The Pittsburgh Steelers came to terms on another reported signing on the evening of March 11, according to FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“Sources: The Steelers are finalizing a 1-year deal with former [Philadelphia] Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell,” Schultz reported on X. Adding: “Gainwell, who had 1,906 total yards and 13 TDs in four years with Philly, stays in the state of Pennsylvania.”
Gainwell will forever be known as the immediate replacement to former first-round pick and four-year starter Najee Harris — who agreed to terms with his new team on March 10. Although, the real replacement will likely come in the NFL draft, as the Steelers fill out the top of their RB room with Jaylen Warren, Gainwell and RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson for now.
Speaking of Patterson, the soon-to-be 34-year-old could be on his way out of Pittsburgh after the Gainwell addition, according to the analysts over at Steelers Depot.
“Once Kenneth Gainwell officially signs, [it] could be the end for Cordarrelle Patterson,” Steelers Depot noted following the RB news.
Patterson profiles as an easy cut candidate for Pittsburgh considering his age, lack of production and contract details. The aging return specialist averaged 21.8 yards per kick return in 2024, with 135 rushing yards and another 80 through the air (1 touchdown).
If the Steelers were to release him at any point this offseason, they’d save $2.8 million in cap space with a very minor dead cap hit of $950,000 (per Over the Cap).
Kick return is an area Pittsburgh should look to get younger at in 2025. The front office brought in Patterson after the new kick return rules were announced last offseason, but the veteran experiment failed to move the needle at a position that typically requires more speed and elusiveness.
New Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell Has Proven to Be a High Floor Backup With Eagles
Gainwell isn’t a flashy signing — especially when you just lost a four-time 1,000-yard rusher — but he’s proven to be a quality backup over the course of his four years in Philadelphia.
The former fifth-round pick has been ultra-consistent, rushing for somewhere between 4.3 yards per carry to 4.5 yards per carry in three of his first four seasons. He’s also caught 102-of-138 passing targets for 721 yards (73.9 catch rate) over his four-year career.
With that in mind, the 5-foot-9 Gainwell hasn’t always received a ton of opportunities, with less than 85 carries in each of his campaigns despite appearing in just about every game.
Oh, by the way, he has some experience as a kick returner too, with most of his special teams impact coming in 2024.
Gainwell returned 18 Eagles kickoffs for an average of 25.3 yards per return last year. That’s better than Patterson, which further fuels the narrative that he could be cut as soon as March 12.
Will the Steelers Target New RB in First Round of NFL Draft?
If you rewind back to a month ago, most mock drafts had the Steelers selecting a wide receiver in the first round, but that appears very unlikely after the DK Metcalf trade.
Instead, could Pittsburgh replace Harris with a true bell cow runner in round one?
Ashton Jeanty probably won’t make it to the Steelers, but Omarion Hampton could. The North Carolina product has been described as a “hard-charging downhill running back with experience carrying a rushing offense” by Bleacher Report NFL draft scout Dame Parson.
But it’s a strong class in general.
Pittsburgh no longer has a second-round selection after trading for Metcalf, so perhaps they move back in the first? There are several talented ball carriers behind Jeanty and Hampton, including Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, TreVeyon Henderson, Dylan Sampson, Devin Neal and Cam Skattebo, among others.
If the Steelers were able to slide back and recoup another second- or third-round pick, they could then use it to secure their eventual running back of the future.
